Women's Roles in Colonial America

Colonial America was parallel to England and the European way of life in many aspects, especially in that of gender distinction. However, the colonies gradually developed unique distinctions which varied from one colony to the next. Marriage was in many cases, but not all, a business venture carefully managed by the parents of the man and the woman. The womanÃÂs role in the Virginia family was greatly influenced by social class, her husbandÃÂs occupation, and accepted custom.

For the colonial society, marriage was a partnership heavily influenced by social class. Men and women in higher classes had greater restrictions in choosing their life-long partners because fortune was at stake. The parents of these men and women bargained with each other in order to arrange a marriage in which their wealth would be increased and standing in society improved. The women in lower classes led lives that involved more physical labor but had greater equality with their husband, even working alongside them due to the need to sustain their families.

Marriage

Marriage Day

Social class

Women had various jobs in their household, jobs which depended on the husbandÃÂs occupation and to some extent on the climate. The women of Virginia farmers led arduous lives, having to make goods which could otherwise be purchased, and had many responsibilities, even taking on some of the husbandsÃÂ tasks. Life on the plantation was drastically different. Women led hard lives and had the responsibility to make sure that the slaves and servants were doing their work. These women often found it easier to do their slavesÃÂ work because the slaves had no incentive to complete their tasks and were not trustworthy. The mistress of the plantation worked alongside her servants during preparations for balls, work that was time-consuming. Women of the plantation had to be good at the art of...

Reviews of: "Women's Roles in Colonial America":

This essay was enjoyable to read as it is well written and eloquent. However it is seemingly lacking a little in analytical depth. You've surveyed the socio-historical context, but you've failed to make an argument to accompany.

If this is intended as a high school essay then perhaps it would be almost adequate, but as an undergraduate essay, it is lacking in sophistication.

Moreover, you have also failed to list your sources, and provide in-text citations.

I feel this gives a decent overview of the position of women in colonial America but lacks a concrete thesis. The information given is too general for an in-depth paper and it also doesn't connect to the titular reference of European women. But what IS written is grammatically correct and flows well.

0 out of 0 people found this comment useful.

More Women's Studies essays:

... History of the American Suffragist. New York: ABC CLIO Pg.2, 2, 5, 13 Anne Hutchinson exercised her freedom of speech in the 1637 Massachusetts colony, by disagreeing with the leaders religious beliefs. At 46 she accepted banishment than to agree w/ theocratic beliefs She and most of ...

... the battle that the feminists of the 21st century continue to fight.References Alfrey, K. (1990). Equal rights for women in education. Denver, CO: Education Commission of the States. Cattel, J. (1929). A history of women?s education in the United States. New York: The ...

... the denial of the franchise to most Caribbean people. They were sometimes critical of what Lucy Stroude of Grenada called the 'old-style leadership' where trade union leaders, usually male, handled everything. The more outspoken women were called 'radicals' because they were anti-colonial ...

... colonial women ran and managed their own business, either in the names of their husbands or in their own names if they were widowed or single? (www.library.hbs.edu). Women gained greater rights after the second half of the ...

... of the Gay Rights Movement is compared with the silence that was required of homosexuals during the colonial period, it becomes apparent that there have been great advances through history. Lesbian women were forced to repress their sexuality and get married in order to live a 'normal' life ...

5 pages166Oct/19963.5

Students & Profs. say about us:

"Good news: you can turn to other's writing help. WriteWork has over 100,000 sample papers"